Tour de France : France’s Lavainne Wins Stage; Mexican Cyclist Finishes 2nd

Christophe Lavainne of France broke away 22 miles from the finish to win Monday’s 105-mile sixth stage of the Tour de France bicycle race.

Lavainne, whose time was 4 hours 12 minutes 57 seconds, was closely pursued by Raul Alcala of Mexico, who turned in the best performance ever by a Mexican rider in the Tour by finishing second, 99 seconds behind.

Switzerland’s Erich Maechler, the leader since Saturday, retained the overall No. 1 spot by finishing in the pack, 2 minutes 36 seconds behind Lavainne.

Lavainne moved from 16th overall to second. He trails Maechler by only 36 seconds. Maechler’s overall time is 17:10.49.

Jorg Muller, also of Switzerland, dropped from second to third overall, 44 seconds back. Italy’s Giancarlo Perini is fourth, 47 seconds off the lead.

The sixth stage, the first in France after five days in West Germany, marked the first mountain test for the 23 nine-man teams. It was on the descent from the first and highest of three mountains that Lavainne and eight others escaped the pack.

The leg between Strasbourg and Epinal took the competitors through the Vosges mountains.

Ten riders, led by Frenchman Jean-Claude Bagot and including Lavainne and Alcala, moved ahead at the approach to the Col du Champ du Feu. At the Col de la Chipotte, the final climb, they were joined by Colombian Gerardo Moncada.

The pack at some points was eight minutes behind the leaders.

“I saved my strength for the last 30 kilometers (19 miles),” Lavainne said.

Maechler said that it was because of his System U teammates that he kept the yellow jersey as the overall leader. “Without them, Christophe Lavainne would be wearing it tonight,” he said.